


From the Studio to the Rink

by StrictlyFromCorn (orphan_account)



Series: Fred Astaire x Ginger Rogers [10]
Category: Astaire/Rogers RPF, Fred Astaire/Ginger Rogers Movies
Genre: F/M, figure skating
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-17
Updated: 2014-02-17
Packaged: 2018-01-12 21:24:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,397
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1201207
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/StrictlyFromCorn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Who would have ever guessed that those successful Hollywood stars, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, would choose to give up motion pictures to compete in ice dancing, of all things? Well - the two have one opportunity to silence their critics, and that is their performance at the 1936 Winter Olympics. (An AU in which Fred and Ginger are also figure skaters, and they represent Team USA in a stunning ice dance! Inspired by the 2014 Sochi Olympics.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	From the Studio to the Rink

**Author's Note:**

> Oh, goodness. This has probably turned out to be one of the most difficult and lengthy fanfics that I have ever written. I got this idea while watching the Olympics, and it somehow seemed like a good idea at the time. I know nothing about figure skating, and you'll have to forgive me, because I mashed up the rules of figure skating and ice dancing into one. I'm also aware that it wasn't quite an Olympic sport in 1936, and I messed around with the timelines in order to be realistic about the timeframe for them to train for the Olympics. I apologize if the terms are unclear, but I hope you do enjoy all the same!

_August 1931_

"On _ice_?" Fred repeated, slightly stunned at the proposition. He was a dancer, sure, but on land, and not on ice.

 

"Sure, kid, sure. Your routine on skates with Ginger was amazing. You'd be a natural on ice." Hermes reassured his friend, patting him on the back. "It's a new sport, actually. It's called ice dancing." He added with a nod. "And what's more, they do it in pairs." The obvious implication of that statement was that Fred was gonna do it with Ginger, the girl with whom he had blown up the box office with their seven films together.

 

"Yeah, but..." He trailed off, scratching a spot behind his ear. Fred was both a successful theatre performer and film star, but he was unsure whether he could be a figure skater. More importantly, he wasn't sure if he _wanted_ to be an ice skater. The offer was sudden and unexpected, but he couldn't deny that there was something intriguing and tempting about going into that new field. And if there was one thing Fred Astaire loved, it was a challenge. "Oh, I don't know. I'll have to think about it." Even then, he was doubtful about the subject. After all, it meant a whole career shift. At least Fred could take comfort in the company of his dancing partner, who also happened to be the girl he was crazy about.

 

"C'mon, the offer isn't gonna last forever, ya know? And George Gershwin said he would compose music for you and Ginge to dance to. What's more - I know this is a long shot, and you'll probably think I'm loony - but you may get a chance to compete at the Olympics!" Hermes burst out, smiling at the prospect.

 

"The _Olympics_? Now I _know_ something's wrong with ya!" Fred rose from his seat. "Hermes, I'm just a plain, simple hoofer, not an Olympic contestant." He insisted. The idea of representing his country at a competition was more than daunting; it was too intimidating for him to even consider it. “Now, look. I want to perform. I’m a performer, not an athlete.” Not a figure skater; just a dancer.

 

“If you and Ginger start now… let’s see. You probably won’t be able to make it in time for the Olympics next year in Los Angeles, but you'll have a batting chance at the 1936 Olympics in Germany.” Hermes continued, ignoring Fred’s protests. He was about to say something else to change his friend's decision when Ginger herself entered the sitting room that the two men occupied. “Just the person I was looking for. Ginge, I need you to do me a favor.” The choreographer rushed over to her side, throwing a smug glance in Fred’s direction. He knew for a fact that his friend almost never refused his dancing partner, and if he got Ginger on his side, he was set.

 

“You boys been quarrelling again?” She inquired jokingly as she sat down on the sofa, next to Fred, noticing his expression of consternation.  “Cheer up, Freddie. What’s eating you?” The dancer elbowed him, much like he had done to her a few years prior in _Top Hat_.

 

“He’s being a darn fool.” Hermes interrupted Fred’s reply. “You see, this is the situation. They want you to dance on ice skates. It’s a new sport, called ice dancing.” He explained. “And Fred doesn’t see any logic in it at all. But I think the two of you could make it to the Olympics in Germany if you work hard at it. It’s a cinch! All you gotta do is put on ice skates and do what you did in _Shall We Dance_!” The choreographer insisted. He could tell that Ginger was buying the idea by her expression on her face.  She was always willing to at least contemplate the possibilities, if nothing else.

 

“Let’s do it.” She finally stated after an extended silence, looking at her dancing partner. The prospect excited her more than words could express. Sure, Ginger hadn’t signed up to become a figure skater, but it sounded like fun and she knew for a fact that success was almost guaranteed with Fred by her side. “At the very least, we’ll enjoy ourselves. And at the most... we’ll be Olympic medalists.”

* * *

_February 1936_

“Olympic medalists. That’s what you said, remember?” Fred whispered in his partner’s ear, trying to calm her down ahead of their impending performance. They were watching the other figure skaters, waiting for their turn, and every time another competitor did something right, Ginger pointed it out, thereby increasing her anxiety. The fact that they were due to skate last hadn’t helped very much, either. “Besides, we’ve already come this far. You and I both know the routine forwards and backwards and in our sleep. We’ll be fine.” He added as they observed the Norwegian pair’s dance.

 

“Yes, but… oh, it’s such a different experience, being right here in the stadium, with the judges right over there.” Ginger buried her face into Fred’s black tuxedo jacket, not willing to look in the judges’ direction. A part of her almost wished that she hadn’t urged him to take up ice dancing in the first place. If she hadn’t insisted upon it, they probably wouldn’t be at the Olympics then.

 

“You’ll ruin your makeup.” Fred placed two fingers under her chin and lifted it up. “You are the one that got us here. It’ll be all right, Ginge. We’ve been working at it for five years now. All with this ultimate goal in mind. You're not gonna give up _now_ , are you? Not when the end is in sight. We'll go out on that ice and show them things they'll never forget." He grinned, more than ready to give the performance of his life.

 

A big part of his motivation was the fact that Team USA was behind the two of them. In 1931, when the team of Astaire and Rogers announced that they were gonna give up motion pictures for ice dancing, reactions were mixed. Some expressed doubt; some, scorn, but most were supportive. Fred and Ginger knew the whole nation was counting on them to bring back the gold. She looked up at him with a small smile, glad that she had such a wonderful partner. Fred forgot all about the Norwegian skaters and leaned over to give her a quick kiss. His eyelids fluttered and their eyelashes brushed against each others', causing Ginger to let out a small giggle.

 

"All right, you're on right after the Germans, who are next." Hermes interrupted the moment between them as he climbed up the stairs to sit next to his friends. "Knock 'em dead. And break a leg." He sat down next to the pair, pulling on his striped necktie. "I don't mean it literally, of course." The choreographed added with a half-smile.

 

It prompted Fred to straighten his black bowtie, and his attention returned to the German pair that was getting ready for their performance. Ginger wondered how her pale yellow dress would look when her partner twirled her and lifted her - there had been a little bit of debate as to whether she ought to wear pants instead. But she and Fred prevailed upon the rest and got her way with the ballroom gown. They wanted to carry the same image on the ice as they had in their films together.

 

Their dance was going to be split up into three parts, which represented different kinds of love between Fred and Ginger. The first involved forehead-touching, much like their Carioca routine, and was about discovery and young love. Unrestrained passion; two lovers that were wild and free. George Gershwin wrote the music for that part and made good on his promise. After that came a dance they had choreographed to “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes”, like their routine a few years prior in _Roberta_. They saved some dance moves from that routine, although it was more than just a challenge to carry those moves out on ice. But Fred and Ginger persevered through that, too.

 

“Smoke Gets in Your Eyes” symbolized the calmer, more elegant, but still equally romantic type of love between two people. The third part of the dance was set to music that Irving Berlin composed for them. Unlike the first two, that type of love was supposed to be very, very toxic, in a destructive sort of way. It tore the two of them to pieces to be in that relationship, but they kept it up anyway, because at the same time, they loved each other too much to end it. That part was Fred’s favorite, not just because of the elaborate lifts and jumps that it involved, but also the fact that it gave him the chance to add pantomime to their routine. He loved how the pantomime in their "Never Gonna Dance" number turned out.

 

"What's the score to beat?" Ginger looked back at Hermes, who was watching the Germans intently. Their tactic was to dazzle the judges with their speed, although the execution of the lifts and spins seemed sloppy to the rest of the onlookers.

 

"Get anything above 95, and we're set." He responded. Since the first moment he had suggested ice dancing to the pair, Hermes had been more than just a friend to the two of them. He was also a great manager and the best choreographer that anyone could ask for. He was more than invested in seeing Fred and Ginger take home the gold medal. “Say, are you _sure_ about that triple axel jump? You could just do a double. It’ll be worth more points, just in case something goes wrong out there.” He suggested, still concerned about the move that had given them a little bit of trouble during rehearsal.

 

“Oh, it’s all right. I’ll manage it.” Ginger reassured him, confident in her ability to do that triple axel jump. If she managed to execute it properly, it would give them enough points to put them in first place, and that was what everyone was shooting for. Hermes responded with a nod, figuring that if she was confident enough to do it, he ought to stop worrying as well. “If we make it here, we’ll be headliners at home.” She murmured under her breath, thinking about their success and trying to calm herself before their big performance. In fact, she barely noticed that the Germans were almost done with their dance.

 

“I think it’s our turn.” Fred rose from his seat, taking Ginger by the hand. In his other hand, he held a pair of ice skates. His heart was racing, but outwardly, his demeanor was as cool as the artificially refrigerated ice that they were going to dance on. They made their way down the stairs in the stadium, passing George and Ira, who were in attendance as well. Fred gave a small wave to his two old friends, who responded with cheers of encouragement.

 

"Remember what we used to do before our film shoots and our other ice dances? Deep breaths." He whispered to his partner, holding her hand tightly. Ginger nodded, inhaling and exhaling slowly and draining herself of all the nervousness within her. The only feeling left within her was an overwhelming desire to put an incredible performance.

 

"Let's do this, darling." She finished putting on her ice skates and a radiant smile spread across her face. Fred released his partner's hand momentarily to wear his skates as well, but quickly took it again. The stadium exploded into applause as the German pair finished their routine and got off the ice. That was the Americans' cue to enter the rink, and the two of them started to stretch and warm up as the judges scored the previous performers.

 

" _And next, we have Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, representing Team USA_!" The voice over the loudspeaker announced jubilantly. The speaker then proceeded to repeat the statement in fluent German (which, thnakfully, Fred understood, since it had proven a great help to them), and then added something in English. “ _Dancing to three pieces of music. First, an original piece by George Gershwin. Then, “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes” by Jerome Kern, and another original piece by Irving Berlin._ ”

 

Fred said nothing, but gave her hand a squeeze in a gesture of “good luck”. Ginger responded with a confident nod, and the two skated the length and breadth of the rink as they waited for the judges to announce the scores. Again, the crowd started roaring as the scores placed the German couple in third place, but to the Americans, it only meant that they had to be even _better_. The two of them took their starting positions, each of them kneeling down on one knee, facing each other, as the place fell silent in anticipation.

 

The music began. Much like George’s earlier composition, “Rhapsody in Blue”, it started with a clarinet solo, but it was brief this time. Slowly, a violin joined in. As the stringed instrument started to make its way into the melody, Fred and Ginger got to their feet, immersing themselves in their performance. A percussion instrument started next, and that was the cue for the dancers to spin. They each spun rapidly for about five seconds, before Fred quickly took her by the hand and the two of them drifted across the ice, each standing on one foot. Ginger’s yellow dress trailed beautifully in the breeze that they felt because of the speed at which they were going.

 

More instruments started to join in and the tempo started to pick up. Fred brought his foot down against the ice almost forcefully, which gave the impression of a tap move. He was relieved that the ice was the right temperature - if it was too warm, the ice would crack and mess everything up. Ginger spun around again, but more slowly this time. One good thing about the ice was that spinning on it was a lot easier than normal circumstances.

 

Fred continued to “tap” on the ice, and by that point, all the instruments in the composition had joined in. They continued in that fashion until the music suddenly came to a lull. The two dancers stopped, facing away from each other. Then they turned around, as if catching sight of each other for the first time. He advanced forward, gazing at his partner with what was called "bedroom eyes". A knowing grin appeared on Ginger's face and the two touched foreheads, gliding across the ice.

 

 _“And they're going forehead-to-forehead, just like their famous Carioca dance!”_ Fred could hear the commentator's voice, and he could tell that the German was very excited to see that dance move. Gershwin's music was fast-paced and pulsating, and an indescribable thrill went through Fred as Ginger wrapped both her arms around his neck. Their faces were barely three inches apart, and the two dancers had almost forgotten how it was like to stare right at each other like that. They spun very quickly in circles, foreheads still touching. As they neared the edge of the rink, they broke apart and gracefully maneuvered themselves away from the edge, doing a bracket turn. On cue, Fred and Ginger each launched into a double axel jump, pulling it off well and landing on one foot.

 

The stadium burst into spontaneous applause, almost drowning out the music for a few seconds. They started to "tap" again, careful not to do it _too_ hard because of the ice. It was quickly followed by another jump from the dancers - this time, a triple toe loop. Fred placed his hand on his dancing partner’s shoulder, and the two went forehead-to-forehead once again. The whole atmosphere was electric, and there was no doubt about whether the couple was doing well. As far as the audience was concerned, they had the gold medal in the bag, even though they were from a different team.

 

There was something different about their performance that set them apart from the rest of the couples. The same chemistry that had clicked on-screen was evident as ever on the ice as well, and, watching from the audience, George knew that people would speculate about their romantic relationship again. Fred and Ginger never openly admitted that they were in love with each other, but one would have to be blind to not notice that there was something special between the two of them.

 

The two dancers, however, were almost oblivious to the cheers of the spectators. They had reached that point in their performance when no one else mattered. It was just Fred and Ginger and the dance, nothing else. He prepared himself for another jump - it was called a “flip” in figure skating terms, and it involved two full rotations. Ginger was going to do it after him, and they would finish the first part with a lift. Fred capably pulled it off, and as soon as his partner landed back on the ice, he gently took her hand.

 

They each followed it up with a Lutz jump in sync. Her jump was fine, but he wobbled slightly as he launched into the Lutz, which affected the height that Fred was intending to get on that jump. Part of him started to panic, thinking that he would fall, but his expression betrayed nothing. As soon as he hit the ice, he extended his foot behind him, making sure that he didn’t lose his balance. _Damn it_. Fred cursed inwardly. It was up to the judges as to whether they would downgrade that jump, but he had to concentrate on the rest of the dance.

 

Hermes had commented on that jump numerous times during rehearsals, but Fred and Ginger both insisted upon keeping it in their routine. The Lutz was notorious for tripping up many brilliant ice dance routines, and many opted to leave it out, despite the number of points a successful jump brought. The American dancers wanted to do it, though, because it signified the couple's desire to do treacherously hard moves together, adding to the mood of the first part of the dance.

 

Fred put his arm around his partner, pulling Ginger towards him; closer than he needed to. Her hand rested on top of his, on her waist, and once again, their foreheads touched. The contact was brief, though, as they prepared for a lift. The movement was effortless and Fred held his partner up with one arm in a hand-to-hand lift. They held that position for five seconds, until he gently placed Ginger back on the ice. The music soared along with their lift, and the two dancers quickly followed it up with a Biellmann spin. It involved them both lifting their legs over and behind their heads - the spin had given Fred no end of trouble during rehearsals - and he and Ginger finally came to a stop, facing each other again.

 

The finale to the first part of the dance was simple. He placed one hand on her cheek, and she returned the gesture, as the two leaned into a kiss position. They hadn’t planned on putting in a kiss at the end, but Ginger could have sworn that his lips brushed against her neck as the music ended with the same clarinet solo. There was loud applause and cheers from the audience, and the two dancers waited for it to die down as they prepared for the second part of the dance.

 

Fred and Ginger started with arms linked, very similar to how they had done in the film version. He brushed his hand on top of hers, reassuring his partner that they were doing fine, as they glided across the ice. A small part of him knew that he had to watch the ice, but the better part of him won over and he stole a glance in her direction. He loved watching her when they danced - she seemed so concentrated, so full of energy, so _attractive_.

 

A smile spread across his face, but he was quickly brought out of those thoughts when they broke apart. The two dancers entered into a camel spin - the free leg was extended, parallel to the ice, before going into a pair sit spin. “ _Beautiful spins. Astaire and Rogers completely in control here…_ ”The commentator seemed spellbound by their performance. Fred and Ginger rose from that position; his expression was almost deadpan, but at the same time, his loving glances at his partner started to blur the line between love staged in the performance and real life. The two dancers spun in a tight circle, going as fast as they dared. They almost became blurs - one, black and white, and the other, a gorgeous yellow, spinning side-by-side.

 

Ginger prepared for the triple axel jump that Hermes had been so worried about earlier on. Only she was going to do it - Fred simply decided that it was going to be too much trouble for him to do it as well. The tempo of the music picked up and they stopped spinning. She inhaled deeply, mentally preparing herself for the jump, and for that moment in mid-air, Ginger relaxed herself and let her instincts take over. That was something she found particularly useful in her dances and skating routines… and her love scenes with Fred.

 

The only indication that it was a successful jump was the roaring from the audience. Before she knew it, she was back on the ice, and practically wrapped in her dancing partner’s arms. Ginger was so caught up in the moment that she had nearly forgotten the fact that the next part of their routine involved that famous head-on-shoulder rest in their original film routine.

 

As he placed his hand on his partner’s head, the only thought going through Fred’s mind was how soft her hair was. It was irrelevant and stupid to think of those things in the rink, but he never could help when and how he thought about Ginger. A childish desire to play with her hair came into his head, but he put it off until later. _For the love of God… you’re performing in the Olympics!_ The dancer reminded himself.

 

The end to that part wasn’t anything particularly showy, either. Fred and Ginger each did a twizzle, in which they grabbed the blade of the ice skate and pulled off a quick spin. The move was so fast that uninitiated observers probably wouldn’t catch the technical difficulty of that, but hopefully the judges took notice. With that, Fred raised his hands as he faced his partner, gently placing one hand on top of Ginger’s stomach rather than her waist, and taking her hand in his free one, giving the impression of intimacy that was enjoyed by both parties.

 

The music to the third and final part to their dance began soon after. The two parted from that position, again, facing away from each other. It was almost reminiscent of the first part of the dance, but the rest of the program differed in many ways. Fred took Ginger by the hand, and lifted her right off the ice without the least bit of hesitation. When they first started practicing the move, she always feared that he would falter and drop her, but that never happened. Not once - not during _any_ of the rehearsals. Ginger knew for a solid fact that he would always be there for her, under any circumstances.

 

Fred held her so close that the two almost became one. Every time the two dancers made eye contact, a veritable spark of electricity seemed to rock everyone watching the dance in that stadium. He made the lift seem almost effortless, which led to another burst of applause from the audience. Never mind the fact that they were not on home ice - the merits of that performance brought admiration from even the staunchest of supporters of other nations.

 

Ginger found herself back on the ice again, and the two continued the routine with an astonishing speed. Fred edged closer to his partner, wrapping his arm around her, as the two skated in harmony. The music fluctuated between upbeat and dark - somehow, Irving had managed to weave the two very different moods together seamlessly. They broke apart, signifying what was a break in the relationship, but it wasn’t very long before they found themselves skating towards each other again.

 

The dancers skated backwards as Fred held Ginger by the waist; in turn, she held him by the wrists. They were preparing for a twist lift, something which was meant to grab them technical points for the gold medal. She sprung into the air, high enough so that he could lift her and throw his partner to a height above his head. Ginger planned on a triple twist lift, and as she was suspended in mid-air, she had no doubt that her partner would safely catch her. Sure enough, Fred caught her by the side of her waist, bringing her down - she smoothly landed on one foot, and again, the stadium erupted into spontaneous applause. “ _Astaire and Rogers have probably pulled off one of the most successful twist-lifts that I have seen in this competition! Absolutely stunning!”_

 

He continued to skate backwards while Ginger did a quick toe jump. Quickly, the two shifted into a position to do a “headbanger” lift, which was one of the most dangerous parts of their routine. Fred grabbed her by the ankles, lifting both her feet off the ice. She was dangerously close to skimming the ice with her face, and Ginger couldn’t help but blink a few times out of fear as she was brought a few inches away from the surface. The dancer had no lack of trust in her partner, recalling the “Table Dance” they had done in _The Gay Divorcee_. Ginger had essentially placed her entire career in his hands, and Fred had never held her tighter than in that moment.

 

Somehow, she found herself back on her feet, and a soaring feeling of excitement rose within her as she realized that they only had one more major part before their ice dance routine was over. The American stole a glance at her partner, and the amount of concentration contained in his expression struck Ginger. Instantly, she realized that Fred wanted the gold medal as much as she did - all his doubts from that day in 1931 had been erased. They had been dreaming about that moment for five years, and everything boiled down to those five minutes. Or rather, the thirty seconds that they had remaining.

 

Motivated by that thought, Ginger prepared herself to do the death spiral that they had in mind to finish off their entire dance. Fred held onto his partner’s right hand with his own as he anchored one foot in the ice. Her body was almost parallel to the ice, and her left arm was extended behind her. They held that position for ten seconds before breaking apart again, pantomiming a destructive argument through their gestures and expressions. Finally, the two Americans glided away from each other across the ice, ending in the same position as they had started in. The music - atmospheric and gloomy by that point - finally wound down, giving rise to a deafening cheer from the audience. “ _Folks, that was Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, representing Team USA!_ ”The commentator shouted, an excited lilt to his voice.

 

Fred and Ginger rose from that position, finally breaking character. “Oh God, Ginge.” He whispered as the two embraced each other. Emotions rushed through him, although the rational part of his mind told him that his primary concern was with the scores. She held onto her partner tightly, almost as if she would fall to pieces if she let go of him. It nearly seemed that way for Ginger, after all. “Oh, Feathers…” Fred murmured breathlessly, closing his eyes and maintaining physical contact.

 

“Freddie…” She practically moaned his name in response. The two were interrupted as the crowd continued to applaud them, and the Americans realized that they had to take a bow sooner or later. He reached over to wipe away the tears that were streaming from Ginger’s eyes, before turning to the crowd. The latter quickly composed herself - in fact, she hadn’t even noticed that she was crying. It was from neither happiness or sadness; her feelings were simply overwhelming at that moment.

 

Fred and Ginger ended up taking _five_ bows in total as they turned to the people assembled on each side of the stadium. As the people assembled continued to cheer, bouquets of flowers started to be thrown onto the ice from admirers. “Hey, Ginge!” She looked up at the sound of her name to see George standing up with a bunch of roses in his hand. The composer threw them out onto the ice, and took a comical bow before sitting back down in his seat.

 

“What an idiot.” Ginger shook her head and remarked under her breath in amusement as she skated over to pick up the roses. George was one of the swellest people she knew, and she was sincerely glad that he had won that Academy Award for _Shall We Dance_ a few years back. He looked genuinely happy when he had accepted that award, and he looked similarly happy as he waved to his old friend Fred and her.

 

“They’ve got a whole florist shop over here.” Fred remarked with a laugh as he continued to hold hands with his partner, picking up some of the bouquets. The audience gave no sign of quieting down any time soon, and he had to admit, he loved the attention, especially considering how hard they had worked for the past few years. He was glad that their dance was so well-received.

 

“Yeah.” Ginger agreed, her hands full with the offerings. She was about to suggest that they head back to the “kiss and cry” - the area where everyone waited for their marks to be announced, when the glint in Fred’s hazel gaze stopped her. She knew that look like the back of her hand; he had given her that expression almost every time they rehearsed together, on or off the ice. With his free hand, he grabbed hers and pulled her towards him. It all happened so quickly that Ginger didn’t have time to react, and the next thing she was aware of was the sensation of Fred’s lips against hers.

 

It was far from the _first_ time that they had kissed, but up till that point, the two had kept their relationship more or less hidden from the rest of the world. She didn’t know what prompted him to suddenly smooch her in front of everybody, but a small part of her mind told her that it was probably George’s roses. Ginger had nearly forgotten how intense Fred’s kisses could be, and the feeling of him thrusting his tongue into her mouth was so unexpected, but so pleasurable, that she dropped all the flowers that she was holding.

 

Neither of them were sure how long the kiss lasted, but as it progressed, she almost staggered backwards from how passionate it was. Not five minutes ago, Ginger was the epitome of control and grace, but that was simply a performance. One couldn’t blame the dancer for her reaction to the unforeseen - yet gratifying - event.

 

Fred dropped the flowers he was holding as well, wrapping one arm around his partner in order to steady her. He seemed nearly amused at Ginger’s surprise about the kiss, and when they broke away, he deliberately bumped noses with her in a gesture of playfulness. A newspaper photographer had managed to capture the moment perfectly - her astonishment at the kiss and his half-smirk, with the flowers at their feet.

 

The crowd went wild about the kiss - after all, they had been speculating about a romance between the two dancers for years by that point. It was much too obvious to be denied, and it honestly came as no surprise to most of the people gathered. With that, Fred and Ginger headed back to the kiss and cry - arms linked - where Hermes was waiting.

 

“Oh, boy, oh boy, you sure put on a show!” He greeted the two of them with barely-contained excitement. “Gold medal. There’s no doubt about it.” Hermes was amongst the people that weren’t in the least surprised about the kiss. The choreographer had seen them both flirt subtly for more than five years, and in fact, he thought it was _about time_ they announced their romantic feelings for each other.

 

All around them, the journalists were going nuts, trying to get the news of their stunning dance to their respective newspapers, both local and overseas. “Astaire and Rogers have blown off the roof here in Berlin! Stunning! Absolutely _incredible_!” A British journalist hollered into the nearby telephone.

 

“Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers - Team USA…” The announcer began, reading the marks that the judges had given the two Americans. “103.5! And that’s a new record!” At his words, the two of them embraced again in the knowledge that they had won the gold medal in the Olympics. Not only that - they had set a new world record, and that was really something unprecedented.

 

“Freddie! Ginge!” George managed to fight his way through the crowd to see the two dancers. “Congratulations!” He gave them each a hug, more than just happy for the success of his friends. In his excitement, Hermes gave Ginger a bear hug so tight that she knew in the back of her mind that she would probably be sore the next day. But in that moment, it didn’t matter, since she was too darn happy to think of anything else except the gold medal.

 

“George?” Fred inquired, seeking out his old friend. “Uh, I saw what you did there out on the rink.” He began awkwardly, not knowing what to make of the composer’s little stunt with the roses. “And…”

 

“Confidentially, Freddie,” George interrupted him. “The roses were from Ira and he was too shy to give ‘em, so I did, on his behalf.” He grinned, patting the dancer on the shoulder. “Besides, I’ve got a date with Kay tonight.” The composer had quite a reputation for being a ladies’ man, but if there was one thing he agreed on with Fred, it was never to double-cross him in the area of romance. That was something true friends never did - and if anything, George’s roses had helped out Fred and Ginger’s relationship.

 

“Say hi to Kay for me, will ya?” Fred responded with an equally stupid smile, almost shaking his head at how jealous he was in the first place.

 

“I will. And, uh, if I can say this to you as a friend,” George began. “Ginger’s a swell gal. Don’t ever let her go.” With that, he gave his friend a nod and decided to head back before Ira started worrying about where his mischievous younger brother had vanished.

* * *

**_ASTAIRE AND ROGERS STUN GERMANY WITH ICE DANCE - SET A NEW WORLD RECORD._ **

_Besides the record-breaking performance, the two Americans gave audiences plenty of other things to talk about. For example, that intense kiss that Fred Astaire initiated at the end of their routine. The two - former movie stars - are surely living up to their reputation as thespians, since the smooch looked like it could have been right out of one of their movie musicals._

 

Hermes looked up from the newspaper that he was reading to see the two dancing stars stumble into the hotel suite, looking as deliriously happy as possible. The gold medals that had been presented to them earlier that night were still hanging around their necks, and Fred was holding a bottle of champagne in his right hand. His free hand was wrapped around Ginger’s waist, as always, and the two almost tripped over the sofa as they made their way in.

 

“Where the hell have you both been?” Hermes demanded, jumping up from his seat. The two had snuck off from the party given in their honor, and they had been gone all night long. It was seven in the morning then - and on their account, the choreographer had spent a sleepless night.

 

“We got… married.” Fred replied, letting go of his now-wife and plopping down on the sofa. He fidgeted with the cork on the champagne bottle, almost as if he wanted to open it again, but made no effort to get a bottle opener.

 

“You got _what_?” Hermes could’ve sworn his ears were playing tricks on him.

 

“Married.” Ginger repeated, sitting down on the couch next to her dancing partner. “He asked me about it last night at the party, and I said yes. So we wandered around the Olympic Village a while before we realized there was this little chapel just down the street. We woke up the minister there and he got us… _married_.” She shrugged her shoulders.

 

“Yeah, the fella was pretty swell about it.” Fred agreed. “He said he heard about our performance and he congratulated us about it. And - believe it or not - he knew my dad! They were friends in Vienna.” He grinned, turning over to look at Ginger and giving her a look of infinite affection.

 

“Okay, so you got married.” Hermes repeated, trying to process the information. He knew that he ought to be glad, because he had been waiting for that day for ages, but it all happened so suddenly, and most definitely not in the way he expected. “Tell me something… how did you get a license so late at night?” The choreographer inquired, still stunned.

 

“We’re Olympic medalists. They arranged it, somehow.” Fred and Ginger stated at exactly the same time. Realizing what had happened, the two couldn’t help but laugh out loud. Hermes rose from his seat, placing the newspaper down on the table. “Where are you going?” She inquired as she cuddled up with her husband.

 

“To the reception desk. I’d _hate_ to intrude on a married couple.” He stated emphatically, gesturing to the physical contact between the two. “I’m gonna get my _own_ room.” And with that, he was gone.

 

“What a goofy fella.” Fred remarked as his friend shut the door behind him.

 

“What a goofy fella.” She agreed.


End file.
